Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-12-08
THE POSTAL SERVICE


Report of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Factory Increase of Revenue and FRO
porilonate Decrease of Expenses
WAsnIxGroS, Dec 1.-The following
items are from the acknowledgements
annual report, sent to the President yester
lay:
posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENT., WASHINGTON,
Nov. 81. 13s7.-SIR: The following report pro-
5ents account OF the transactions OF this de-
partment and the operation OF the postal SER
vice during the year ended with the 30th of
June. 1887. the second complete fiscal year of
your administration. The multitudinous statis-
Ties necessary exhibit in detail the affairs of
this extensive service win be found, intelli-
gently digested- in the reports OF the officers in
charge OF its several branches and the accom-
panying tables, subjoined appendices hereto
The expectation OF growth and improvement
In the Affairs of the postal service, INDUCED in
previous reports, has been realized during the
past year. In part arising from an extension OF
the limits of malablc matter of the fourth class
ordered to meet the requirements of trade
and from the receipts OF the special delivery
service, but chiefly from the greatcr employ
ment OF all postal facilities consequent upon tho
rising business prosperity OF the country, faith
fully reflected in the postal service, the reve-
nueS have gained upon the preceding year by
nearly ~, $4,000, attaining height never
reached before, despite the restrictive opera
ton of various reductions in the rates OF post
age. Upon the other hand, the study of econ
orny has not been without effect in restraining
the necessarily rising scale of expenditure. SO
that the increase of cash disbursements has bus
little oFerStcpped a., ;H0, O0J Thus the deficiency
charged upon the general treasury. which two
years since was round seven millions and
year ago about seventy thousand less, has been
reduced almost three-sevcnths, while the fair
augury from present circumstances gives
hopes that during the current year il will nearly
il not entirely disappear.
The prosperity of the service is the prosperity
of the post-ofices, and the gains OF the year arc
ariya .,1t, Who ,har ~
salafied Officers at its beginning was, OF the
first class. IS; of the second, 4OO; and OF the
third, 1850; total of 2.2i4 OF the Presidential
classes. BY the annual review and readjust-
ment, based upon the returns OF their business
for the four quarters ended with March 81. 1887,
it was disclosed that on July the net gains OF
the several classes were in the first. Is in the
second and so in the third. making respective
totals OF 81 in the FIRST 435 in the second and
1919 in the third; in all 1896 net increase OF
o. This showing indicates less than the real
facts. because there were other offices entitled
to advancement from the fourth to the third
class. which, by delays in the necessary reports
were postponed until the next quarter. And
on October I there were added to the third
class IS Offices by assignment pursuant to law,
thus making the total number of third class u.
the time of this report. 1884, and o; all Presi-
GENITAL ofices. 2.3Sl: the highest yet reached in
the history of the department.
BY this annual adjustment many salaries
were raised within the several classes, and COM
pensation of the Presidential postmastcrS as
then existing was fixed for the current year ut
s. $50, 90 a net increases of 80, StO, five
tplus) per cent. upon the adjustment OF last
year
To bring the general figures up to recent
date the whole number of post-oftices on Octo-
Ter had become 55,434. OF which 2,331 were
salaried or Presidential Offices, distributed in
classes as before mentioned, and 53,053 were
fourth class. Besides these were 625 branch
oices or stations. an increase OF l: for the sale
If stamps only. or the whole, 80S9 were money
order ofnces and ITO money order stations.
The appointments of postmasters numbered
altog Their during the fiscal year 1902, of
which 6,S63 were to fill vacancies happening
upon the expiration OF commissions or by res
ignation; s.585 upon removals or suspensions
$50 by death, and 3.D43 to newly established
offices Among these appointments, S93 were
upon your commission TO NIL vacancies which
happened from the causes and in the respective
numbers following: BY expiration OF COM
missions, ESQ; by resignation, 125; by removal
or suspension, as7: by death, SO, and upon the
assignment of fourth class Ofices to Presi
dental class. 145
, Among the Presidential postmasters in office
on March 4, 1885, the percentage OF suspensions
and removals SO shown is 2l.5, and the percent
age OF their voluntary designations during the
period OF two years and upward 1873.
The free delivery service was during the last
fiscal year, extended to eight additional cities
which had reached the limits then required by
law of 300 gross receipts or 20, 60 population
and were thus within the discretionary consid-
Grafton OF the department. These were Bir-
mingham in Alabama. Wichita in Kansas Bat
tie Creek in Michigan Winona in Minnesota,
Joliet and Rock Island in Illinois. Bradford in
Pennsylvania, and Rutland in Vermont Their
ad iition left the total number of places within
the privileges OF this system to be lS9 at the
end OF the year.
On July. 1885,, the total annual rate OF cost OF
the entire transportation service under the care
OF the Second Assistant Postmaster-General.
which embraces all but the foreign mails, stood
at Sa,093, $3.50. The actual cost fo- the year
was less, the expenditure already made being
$ OBJ 106 81 besides estimated unpaid liabilities
of about s252.G0 for railroad service az yet in
process of adjustment So far already paid.
the expenditures as coatrasted with the rate OF
cost Mt which the year begun and also the an
nual rate OF cost on the first day OF the current
fiscal year in the several items of this service
ore shown by the following table,
:. =. :.